plate
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a flat, round dish that you use for eating or serving food.
n.a shallow, usually circular vessel from which food is eaten or served.
Simple“He put a large slice of cake on a small blue plate.”
In context“The waiter cleared the empty plates from the table before offering the guests a look at the dessert menu.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
n.the amount of food that is served on one plate.
n.the quantity of food contained on a plate; often used metonymically for a portion or a course.
Simple“She ate a whole plate of pasta and still felt hungry.”
In context“The restaurant serves a generous plate of seafood that is easily enough for two people to share.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.you use this to talk about how much work or how many problems you are dealing with.
n.a metaphorical reference to one's current workload or agenda of responsibilities.
Simple“I'd love to help you with the project, but I have a lot on my plate right now.”
In context“With the merger approaching and three senior staff members on leave, the manager has far too much on her plate to consider new initiatives.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
n.a flat, thin piece of metal or other hard material.
n.a flat, structural or protective sheet of uniform thickness, typically made of metal.
Simple“The workers fixed a steel plate over the hole in the road.”
In context“The hull of the ship was reinforced with heavy armored plates to withstand the pressure of deep-sea exploration.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.one of the huge moving pieces of rock that make up the Earth's surface.
n.a massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere.
Simple“Earthquakes happen when two plates under the ground move against each other.”
In context“The movement of tectonic plates is responsible for the formation of mountain ranges and the occurrence of volcanic activity along fault lines.”
Synonymstectonic plate - 06 B1 Intermediate
n.the sign on the front and back of a car that shows its official number.
n.a sign attached to a vehicle displaying its registration identifier.
Simple“The witness couldn't remember the car's plate number after the accident.”
In context“The police officer ran the plate through the national database to check if the vehicle had been reported stolen.”
Synonymslicense platenumber plate - 07 C1 Advanced
n.a full-page picture in a book, often printed on better paper than the text.
n.a full-page illustration in a printed book, traditionally produced by a separate printing process.
Simple“The biology textbook has several colored plates showing different types of flowers.”
In context“The rare first edition is highly valued by collectors because all twenty hand-colored plates remain in pristine condition.”
Synonyms - 08 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to cover a metal object with a very thin layer of another metal, like gold or silver.
v.to deposit a thin layer of metal on a surface, typically through electrolysis or chemical means.
Simple“The cheap jewelry was plated with silver to make it look expensive.”
In context“Industrial components are often plated with chrome to provide a decorative finish and increase resistance to corrosion.”
- 09 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to put food onto a plate in an attractive way before serving it.
v.to arrange and present food on a plate for service in a professional culinary context.
Simple“The chef carefully plated the steak with a garnish of fresh herbs.”
In context“In fine dining, the speed at which a chef can plate a complex dish is just as important as the flavor profile itself.”
Usage plate reader · plate readers